Wednesday, September 03, 2014

Writer's Wednesday - Choosing the Write Course

My first contribution to the new look Pink Heart Society is a Date With Kate on Writer's Wednesday. And as I have some writing courses coming up, I thought I'd offer some advice on how to choose one which works best for you.

It happens every year. I’m fine through July, August – they’re
summer months. Then the clock ticks past midnight between August and September –
and suddenly everything changes. I
regress to being back at school, or university.
I see all the ‘ Back to School’ or ‘New Term, New School Year’ signs in the
shops. Even worse, those signs are on the stationery sections of shops or . .
.in stationery shops. And then they add ‘Three for the Price of Two’ in Notebooks
or ‘Buy One Get One Free’ for pens – or pencils – or post-it notes . . .and I’m
lost.

It's one of the reasons I’m glad I started teaching.
I never wanted to be a teacher but ever since the 12 Point Guide To WritingRomance was first published, I seem to
be asked to teach – and do more teaching ... and then even more.

So here I am,
New Year, New Term – and I have the perfect excuse to Buy One. Get One Free or
pick up three-for-two.

But as I planned the courses I’m running between now and Christmas, a question I was asked made me stop and think. How do you know which
course is for you? What is the best
course for the stage of your writing career you’re at right
now? There are plenty of courses on
offer – so how do you choose?

Well, there are some easy decisions.

How much
you can afford to pay, for one. And how far you can travel for another. There are courses for every possible writers’ budget
– you can pay a small fortune, or you can go on a more basic event. It all depends on whether you want the
luxury, the surroundings – or if you realize most of the time you’re going
to be in a teaching situation – focused
(hopefully!) on learning - so it doesn't really matter what your surroundings are like.

The courses I’m involved with–Writers’ Holiday, Fishguard Writing
Weekend, Relax and Write–are, I think, a fair compromise. There’s a
comfortable hotel with a glorious view
of the sea (Fishguard) or 9 acres of
wooded grounds (Weetwood Hall) but
the price isn't going to break the bank.
You can pick what suits you.

But really, the content of the course is more important.

When you’re planning on booking, make sure
you do your research. Do you know who is running the course and their
publishing history? Do they have books
published in the genre or type of fiction you want to write? And do they have a reputation for being able
to teach? The biggest problem with a creative
writing course is there in those two words – creative people aren't always
the best teachers. And just because someone is a writer, doesn't mean they
can teach other people to do it.

You also need to know what sort of course will suit you. Do you
want to sit and be told lots of things like a student at a lecture? Or do you learn best by doing – getting your hands on the
keyboard and putting down words?

Then you have to think about whether you'd like to be involved in a large group so you
can make friends and learn from other people as they ask questions and
discuss this slightly crazy writing
addiction you all share. Or would you rather have one-to-ones with your tutor, talk about
your writing and go to the quiet
of your room to put those ideas into practice?

Do you want a course that’s filled with learning
and discovery from start to finish? Or one where you are set your own writing
tasks and settle down to fulfill them?

This month, I’m running a writing retreat in Weetwood Hall that’s very different from my basic ‘Writing
Romantic Fiction’ course and the ‘Advanced Writing Romance’ course which I've set up at Fishguard for an intensive weekend in February. Those ‘teaching courses’ mean I do a lot of
talking and explaining. I set some writing exercises but only
a few used as examples. For this
retreat, the focus is on having some time and peace and quiet for yourself, because let’s face it, isn't that what
every would-be writer is desperate for? Time and peace to write while someone else provides the food and does all the cooking, the washing up? My role is simply to provide professional
help – guidance in discussions about the chapters my students have submitted - and I’m available for everyone to ask questions if they need to.

The other thing this kind of weekend teaches you is the importance of commitment – that BICHOK thing
- bum in chair, hands on keyboards.
Unfortunately, however good a course may be, the problem is you can have so
much fun talking about writing you don’t end up doing any of
that thing which gets a book created – adding one word after another, after another, after another...

So, my advice?

If you’re interested in booking a course, do your homework before you sign on the dotted line. Make sure it’s a course which matches your level of knowledge, interest and writing
experience.

Get value for your money.

These are much more important things to consider than wonderful weather or glorious surroundings. You can’t take the scenery home with you. But
you can take the buzz and inspiration which comes from discovering new things
about yourself as a writer and the skills you’re trying to master.

I’m speaking from experience. Every time I run a course, I
come home fired up with enthusiasm and inspiration. I meet people like me who ‘get’
this whole writing thing. We have fascinating
debates and discussions (some of the best take place in the
bar in the evenings!) And so often when
I’m teaching, I suddenly find a knot in my current WIP has come
untied or I'll have a brilliant ‘light bulb moment’ that means I know exactly where
my hero and heroine are going next.

I love my teaching, which is surprising when I really never wanted to be a teacher. at all. I meet interesting people - talk about this craft I love - have a lot of laughs. I've made some real friends and enjoy seeing students come back on a course again as they progress in their writing.

The best thing of all is watching past students succeed and become published authors in their own right. That's just so special. I
have two courses coming up – in September and October - and then some more planned for next year and really, I just can’t wait.

If you're interested in any of my writing courses - take a look at the Events Page on my web site, or at the posts on my blog that tell you about them. If you decide to come along, I'd love to see you.

What would you like to learn about writing? Which teaching method suits you best? Is there anything you'd like some help with? If there's a particular topic you'd like us to cover on the PHS, let us know in the comments!

You can find out more about the fabulous Kate Walker, her books and the writing courses she runs on her web site which has just been updated with new information. And for the very latest, up-to-the-minute-news, you can find her on her blog or Facebook page